The Pretend Friend Ch. 06

Something was bothering Olivia. We woke up a little less than an hour ago, probably, and I couldn't even keep track of how many orgasms we've had since then. I lost count after three, and she was still going.

The sheets were fisted in my hands as she slammed the strap into me from behind, her hips slapping against my ass with each thrust. I was on my knees, my back arched, and her hand on the back of my head, pressing the side of my face down into the pillow.

My mind was completely devoid of anything that didn't involve the pure bliss shooting through my body. I didn't even remember how I had gotten into this position, and I had begun to disassociate until I felt her nails drag down my back. It wasn't painful enough to draw marks, but it was enough for my mind to snap back into the moment, where Olivia thrusted hard and shot a tingling jolt through my walls.

"Oh, fuck," I cried out. "Oh fuck oh fuck oh--"

My stomach tightened up, and a groan rolled out of my throat. I tried to hold back the wave, but with another thrust, it came crashing through. I bit down on the pillow and groaned into it. Olivia was cumming too as she fell on top of me, panting hard against the back of my neck. She rolled her hips, and my hips jerked back against hers. She thrusted again, a smaller one, but it was enough to send another wave through my body. My eyes rolled to the back of my head.

The next time I came to, I was still on my stomach, but Olivia was no longer on top of me. I didn't feel the strap between her legs anymore as she cradled me, one leg draped over my body. I felt her fingers run down the crease on my back, and her breath against the side of my neck was even and soft. We had never cuddled before. I didn't think she was even capable of it.

I turned my head on the pillow to meet her gaze, which was no longer filled with the lustful energy from this morning. Now, it was just contemplative and something... softer.

"Are you okay?" I asked carefully.

When I asked her that question after she pulled me into her hotel room last night, frantic and frustration all over her face as she tried to pull my clothes off, she had gotten defensive and snappy. It took all of my willpower to not leave after she called me "nothing but a fuck relief," who "shouldn't be in her business." Despite me being exactly that for her and our relationship being nothing but purely sexual, I could tell she wasn't okay, and it wasn't in me to leave her in that state. If I was what she needed to release that tension, then I would be that. Besides, I needed to release my own tensions too, with Charlotte being the main source of it.

Instead of getting defensive again, Olivia rolled onto her back, her leg sliding off of me. She stared at the ceiling, but I continued staring at her. It was unlike Olivia to be so quiet. Usually, she would have jumped off the bed already to shower, which was usually my cue to leave.

But now she was just... lying there.

"Olivia, are you--"

"There's this party on the beach tonight," she interrupted while sitting up. "Will you be able to come to it?"

I pushed myself up to sit. "What time is it at?"

Olivia slid off the bed, not looking at me as she pulled on a robe. "It starts at seven, but you can come at any time, you know, if you're at the theater today."

"I'm not working today, so I'll just meet you at the beach whenever you get there." I answered, and she nodded, still not meeting my gaze. For some reason, it felt a little awkward, but I didn't know why.

As Olivia walked to the bathroom, I slid off the bed and reached for the clothes she had shed off of me last night.

"You wanna join me in the shower?"

Startled, I looked at her. Now, she glanced at me over her shoulder, a small smile on her lips, as she slid the robe off her shoulders and dropped it at the doorway. Now, that was more like Olivia even though she had never invited me in to shower with her before.

Still, the awkwardness felt like it was easing off, so leaving my clothes, I followed her on legs that were still unsteady from the thorough fucking.

-----------------

While I was in a practice session with the band, Charlotte and I made plans to eat lunch together at her office later in the afternoon.

The girls and I were on a water break, which grew longer when Victor stopped by to see Alex. They were upstairs now while we lounged in Alex's basement. Laura was lying on the floor beside me and scrolling through her phone while Sadie sat on the couch, talking quietly to her girlfriend on the phone.

Charlotte: How weird are we talking?

Jess: I don't know. Just softer?

Jess: that doesn't make any sense

Charlotte: I think it does. Do you think she likes you?

My fingers hovered over the keyboard as I thought about Olivia's expression this morning and the way she touched me after.

Did Olivia like me?

But then as I thought about our session in the shower, how she had returned to her usual assertiveness by pushing me to my knees and riding my face, I scoffed.

Yeah, as if.

Jess: she definitely does not have any romantic feelings for me

Three dots appeared on Charlotte's side of the chat, and I watched it wiggle while she typed.

"Oooh, who likes you?" Laura breathed into my ear.

I jerked away in surprise. "What the fuck, Laura!"

She grinned with glimmering eyes. "You met someone? Is that why you didn't come to Sadie's yesterday?"

At the mention of her name, Sadie looked at us with a puzzled look.

"Jess met someone," Laura cooed.

"I met no one," I snapped. "Olivia and I are just--"

"Olivia?" Laura cackled. "Her name's Olivia!"

"Shut up!" I pushed myself to my feet to put distance between us and looked down at my phone.

Charlotte: Do you like her?

I began to type back a response.

"I'm surprised Dear Charlotte is taking this calmly," Laura mused.

My eyes snapped back to her. "What?"

Her lips slowly drew into a smirk. "Come on, Jess."

"What?"

It was annoying, her looking at me with that goddamn smirk as if she knew something I didn't.

"You know," Laura wiggled her brows. "I thought she would have already pulled up Olivia's family history, put a tracker on her, and questioned her intentions with you by now."

"And why the fuck would she do that?"

Not to mention this was my first time even talking to Charlotte about Olivia, but I didn't tell them that. It felt strange talking to Charlotte about her, but Olivia's expression this morning still bothered me. She just seemed so... sad and unlike herself.

"Because she likes you," Sadie answered like it was obvious, and my eyes snapped to her now. She had ended the call with her girlfriend, and, unlike Laura, she was giving me a serious look.

I didn't know which one I preferred.

"Charlotte does not like me," I said firmly.

Sadie merely shrugged. "Maybe not, but there's some serious tension there."

"Sexual tension," Laura clarified chirpily.

I opened my mouth to deny all of that because of course they were wrong, but then Alex came bounding down the steps.

"Who has sexual tension?" Alex asked.

"Jess and Charlotte," Laura answered before I could say no one.

"Oh, yeah! Definitely," Alex exclaimed while nodding vigorously.

"You know, it's not completely out of the realm that she likes you," Sadie said in the slow, patient voice that she had whenever she was giving us advice or trying to calm us down. "She came over with a bunch of things for you and Noah when you were sick."

"You guys came too, and we don't have any feelings for each other!" I exclaimed and continued before they could fit in any more assumptions. "She was just checking on me like friends do, and she can go a little overboard sometimes but that's just Charlotte. Besides, she is one hundred percent straight."

I blew out a breath as they stared at me. Sadie with that same patient look, Alex with a suppressed smile, and Laura with her leering grin.

Then Laura, because of fucking course, broke the silence. "How sure are you on that percentage?"

I lunged towards her, and Sadie jumped off the couch to grab me. Laura bursted out laughing as I glared at her.

"Laura, enough," Sadie scolded. "If Jess says they're just friends, then that's that."

"Fine, fine!" Laura groaned but the smirk returned to her face as she met my glare. "Can't have any fun around here."

"Don't ever bring any of this up in front of Charlotte," I warned. "I don't want her overthinking just because of your assumptions."

She rolled her eyes. "Alright, jeez. Lighten up, will you? At this rate, I might start to think you have feelings for her."

I couldn't help but stiffen, and Sadie seemed to notice as she pulled back to search my face. I turned away from her.

"Can we just get back to practice now?" I muttered, but that finally shifted the mood away from Charlotte and I as the girls reached for their instruments.

As I picked up the guitar, my mind ruminated on Sadie's words.

Charlotte having feelings for me.

That'd be the day.

-----------------

Yet, I just couldn't stop thinking about what the girls said for the rest of practice and even after when I grabbed lunch to meet with Charlotte at the theater.

Because while I knew Charlotte tended to go the extra mile in every thing she did, it always felt a little bit more with me. I just didn't realize it until now.

Or maybe I was overthinking.

Before I started to overthink about overthinking, her office door swung open, and the frown lines on her face smoothed out as she smiled in relief.

"Thank god, you're here. I'm starving."

"Oh, sorry. I could have came earlier," I said as she closed the door and followed me to the sofa.

"No, it's okay. I had a lot of phone calls earlier." She unwrapped the sandwich I offered, took a huge bite, and moaned.

"Good?" I asked amusingly.

She nodded and gave me a thumbs up. I unwrapped my own sandwich and took a bite of it. For a couple of minutes, the office was just filled with our quiet chews, and while it was a comfortable silence, it was also quiet enough where my mind began to drift back to the conversation I had with the girls.

It was dangerous, thinking about her potential feelings for me and the feelings I might have for her. I thought that it was just my pent-up need for sex, and I honestly had not thought about Charlotte at all last night and this morning when I was with Olivia.

Now, though, sitting so close to Charlotte with her knee pressed against mine and being enclosed in this office with the scent of her perfume everywhere, it was impossible not to think about those feelings. Especially when my heart felt like it was racing faster now.

"So you never answered my question," Charlotte said after finishing her sandwich. I looked down at my own sandwich, which I wasn't even halfway through with yet. Charlotte crumpled her wrapper, and I looked up at her again. "Do you like this woman?"

For a beat, I just blankly stared at her, not fully registering.

Woman...

Then it clicked. She was talking about Olivia because I had forgotten to answer her message earlier.

Did I like Olivia?

The answer was clearly a no.

Did I like Charlotte?

I wished I had a more definitive answer for that.

But as Charlotte lifted a brow, I shook my head of that thought. That wasn't what she asked me.

"No," I answered. "I don't like her."

"And you're sure she doesn't like you?"

I nodded.

"Then maybe she's just having an off day," Charlotte said with a shrug. "She's probably dealing with something personal and doesn't want to talk about since you two are just, you know..."

"Fuck buddies?"

She grimaced from the vulgarity, and I grinned. "It's not the word I would use but sure."

It... made sense. The first night I met Olivia, she had said that I was her saving grace while she was in town, so I figured she wasn't here for pleasure, though it seemed like she was. I didn't even think there was a night where she hadn't gone out to drink, but maybe that was a sign that she was dealing with something.

And coping in a very unhealthy way.

Charlotte swept the crumbs off the table onto her hands and dumped them into the empty bag.

I leaned back into the sofa, watching her clean for a few moments before asking, "Have you met anyone recently?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like a fuck buddy or someone serious. Have you met anyone?" I clarified.

Charlotte's hands stilled from cleaning, and she whipped her head around to look at me. "Um, no. Why?"

I searched her face, trying to find any signs, but she looked more surprised than anything.

Playing it off, I shrugged. "I just thought I would ask. I feel like I barely hear anything about your dating life."

The surprise left her eyes, and she breathed out a laugh. "That's because it's nonexistent. I've been too busy to really think about any of that."

"Not even sex?"

Her brows raised up high. "Definitely not. I don't really..."

Intrigued now, I sat up straight. "Really what?"

She shrugged. "Sleep with people I'm not dating?" And then she quickly added, "Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's not for me."

I frowned. "So how do you release that tension? I mean, if there are any, I guess."

Charlotte's cheeks flushed, and she looked away. "No, I definitely do, um, feel it sometimes, but work has been pretty helpful in distracting me from that."

My frown only deepened. "Charlotte, work is not really a relief either, and you have seemed really stressed for the last couple of days."

"I do yoga on some mornings."

My mind immediately jumped to an image of her in tights, and I cut it off before it could go into even more imaginative places.

"And does that help with the stress?"

"Probably? I don't know. It has helped before." She shook her head. "I'm just more tired than usual because of work, but once we get everything settled, then I'll be fine."

"Okay, but have you tried masturbating?"

"Jess!"

I threw my hands up defensively. "What?"

Her eyes were wide and sharp. "You can't just... that's -- that's private!"

Relief filled me now that I knew I didn't offend her, and I laughed. "Oh come on, we're best friends."

"Still!"

"Are you shy?" I teased, and her cheeks flushed harder. I so wanted to touch it and see how hot they were. I almost did before she jumped off the couch and paced away.

"I am not talking to you about that!" Charlotte exclaimed as she smoothed down her pants.

"What, masturbating?"

"Jess," she groaned.

I held my hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll stop teasing you about it."

She breathed out in relief. "Thank you."

"But if you need any recommendations for toys, then I'm--"

Charlotte groaned again and covered her face with her hands. "You're relentless."

Grinning, I leaned back again. "I didn't think you would be so shy about it."

"It's not a matter of shyness," she mumbled behind her hands before dropping them and giving me an exasperated look. "It's just, privacy is important to me."

My chest pinched with a little bit of guilt now, especially when she looked away and rubbed her palms down her thighs.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed," I apologized. "What you do is your business, and I'll remember to respect that next time."

She returned her gaze to me, and her expression softened. "Thank you."

I patted the seat next to me. Charlotte blew out a small sigh, but her lips tugged into a smile as she sat back down.

"So tell me," I began, and her expression grew wary. "When did you get so fast at eating?"

Charlotte bursted out into giggles, and I grinned.

--------------

After lunch with Charlotte, I went home to go for a run. There was still a lot of time left before I had to meet up with Olivia, so I did a long run to clear my mind.

While I wasn't sure what my feelings were for Charlotte, I settled on just letting it be. I wouldn't focus too hard on figuring it out, and with time, hopefully it would just fizzle out. The last thing I needed was for potential feelings to ruin our friendship, and I just didn't have the energy for a relationship.

My resolve grew concrete by the time I got back, and I was glad I went on the run at all. After I showered, I received a message from Olivia letting me know what time she was going to leave, and I sent her a quick confirmation before I called Noah to check in on him.

"Mom, please, please, please can we keep him?" Noah pleaded when he picked up.

I was in the middle of putting in a load of laundry when I paused. "Keep who, Noah?"

"Nox! He was just lying on the porch, and there was blood everywhere! Mr. Wilson drove him to the doctor, and we're waiting for him to get out of surgery but I think he's going to be okay so--"

"Noah!" I exasperated. "Who's Nox, and how did he get hurt? And where's Mr. Wilson? I want to talk to him."

There was some movement and quiet murmurs before Robert's voice came through. "Jess?"

"Robert, what the hell is going on over there?"

He sighed. "We found a dog on the porch an hour ago, and it seemed like he was hit by a car but was still alive. We're at the vet right now, but I don't know --" he lowered his tone before continuing, "I don't know if he'll make it, but Noah wants to keep him. He said you would be fine with it."

I dropped my face into my hand. Of course he did.

"Are the kids shaken up?" I asked. "Noah said there was a lot of blood."

"They're fine, but I'm worried how they'll be if he doesn't make it. Noah already seems attached."

"I'm coming up there."

"Jess, absolutely not. It's storming up here and dangerous," he chided, and I frowned. "All we're doing right now is waiting around for the results anyway, so I don't want you risk driving up here in this storm only for everything to be fine. I've got this, I promise."

I rubbed a hand down my face. "Do you think he'll make it?"

"I don't know. He didn't look good when we found him, but the doctor said his injuries looked fresh so maybe we got him here in time. Hell, he must have gotten hit during the storm and saw the house and just --" Robert sighed. "Noah gave him the name Nox."

My chest tightened. "Can you pass the phone back to him?"

"Sure thing, Jess."

There was some ruffling and footsteps before Noah's breath filled the line again.

"Noah, are you okay?" I asked.

"Yes, but Mom--"

"Noah."

He released a frustrated breath, but answered, "Yes, Mom. I'm okay."

"Good." I blew out a breath, thinking, while he waited. I knew he was gripping the phone tightly, itching to say something with his brows pulled down and his lips pressed firmly together. My heart ached at the image, and I hated that I wasn't there. "Noah, I want you to listen to me carefully, okay?"

"Okay."

"From what Mr. Wilson told me, the dog seemed--"

"Nox," he corrected.

I sighed. "Nox seemed severely injured, and I'm not saying he won't, but there's a chance he might not survive the surgery, sweetie." I paused, waiting to see if he would say anything, but he remained silent. "Would you like me to come up there?"

He remained quiet, and I swallowed tightly. As I opened my mouth to speak again, he answered, "No. I'm okay, Mom. I promise." Then, quietly, he added, "I know he was hurt badly."

Tears sprung to my eyes, and I gripped the phone tightly. "There's still a chance he'll survive, but I just want you to be prepared if he doesn't, okay?"

"Okay, Mom."

And fuck, I couldn't believe I was doing this, but I added, "And if Nox turns out okay, and they let him leave, then we can talk about bringing him home."

"Really?" he exclaimed.

Despite my hesitance at taking in a stray, I knew I made the right choice from hearing the excitement in his voice.

"Yes, Noah," I answered. "So just give me a call when the doctor comes out, and we'll talk, okay?"

"Okay, Mom! Thank you thank you thank you! You're the best mom ever!"

I chuckled. "Don't you ever forget that either."

"I won't. I promise!"

"Keep me updated, kid. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom."

I let him end the call first and leaned back against the washer with a heavy sigh. With the apartment, I didn't know how in the hell I was going to take in a dog. I didn't even know how big he was either, but if it made Noah happy, then I would make it work.

-------------

I was still worried about Noah when I arrived at the beach in the evening. There were still no updates on Nox's condition, but I was still messaging Noah and Robert periodically to make sure everything was fine.

With everything going on, I had completely forgotten about the party until I received a message from Olivia asking where I was at. I thought about canceling and staying in, but I didn't feel good about leaving her after this morning.

Because what if Charlotte was right and Olivia was going through something?

As I got closer to the bonfire, I spotted Olivia immediately. With the light from the fire, I could see that her cheeks were already flushed from drinking, and she downed another shot before her eyes landed on me.

"Jess!" she exclaimed and left her group of friends to run to me.

I was prepared for it when she crashed into me and kissed me hard.

"I thought that you --" she panted in between kisses, "--weren't going to come."

"Sorry, Noah was--"

She pressed her lips firmly against mine and slid her tongue through hungrily. I let her take the reign and merely rested my hands on her hips. It was only when her fingers began to inch up under my shirt that I pulled away and grasped her shoulders to keep her from lunging towards me again.

"Olivia, are you okay?"

She scowled. "Why do you keep asking me that?"

"Because I'm worried about you."

She ripped away from my grasp. "I'm fine."

"Olivia--"

She pointed her finger at my face. "You're no fun, Jess!"

Then she ran away, and I stared after her in shock. Feeling a couple of gazes on me, I turned to her group of friends, and they quickly looked away. My face flushed, and I started to go after Olivia before my gaze caught a flash of hazel and blonde hair.

I quickly turned back to the group, and Charlotte was the only one still staring straight at me.

For a while, we both just stood still, staring at each other. My heart was pounding so hard as I tried to wrap my head around the fact that she was here and had witnessed everything.

I assumed that she only had work, but of course, she had other friends and a social life too. Hell, she had a college friend in town and --

Oh my god.

Charlotte walked up to me, hands deep in her pockets. She had changed out of her work clothes from earlier and was now wearing a white and lavender romper with a loose cardigan and sandals. She looked so relaxed, but her expression was not that at all.

No, Charlotte's jaw was clenched, meaning she was either angry, hurt, or conflicted. I squared my shoulders, preparing to be cursed at.

"I'm sorry about her," she said instead, and my lips parted in surprise. Charlotte glanced over her shoulders in the direction of Olivia, who had joined another group near the shoreline. "She's... a lot sometimes, but she's going through something right now."

"I..." Pausing, I tried to gather my words before speaking again. "Did you know about Olivia and I?"

Charlotte shook her head. "I didn't know until earlier tonight after she mentioned your name. Then I put two and two together."

I stared at her, mouth gaping open and not knowing what to say.

"It's fine, by the way," Charlotte added. I gauged her expression, and she didn't seem angry.

Still. I felt like I had done something wrong, like I had betrayed her trust or something.

"I'm sorry. I can break it off with her and--"

She shook her head. "Jess, it's honestly fine. With everything going on in her life, I think she needs... whatever it is you guys are doing. It's only until Friday anyway, right?"

"Right," I answered quietly and frowned. "Is she okay?"

Charlotte sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Liv is tough. She just hates being back in Savannah, so I think she'll be okay again once she leaves."

I thought about Atlanta and how I had not thought about going back there once. Too much had happened there, and Savannah was my home now.

"I can understand that," I said, and Charlotte smiled.

"I'm still sorry for her explosion," Charlotte said, and remembering, I grimaced. "She shouldn't have done that in front of everyone even if she's having a hard time."

"It's alright." I shrugged. "I'm just glad to know it's not anything I did."

Charlotte smiled softly, and with the orange glow from the fire, the gold flecks in her eyes appeared brighter in the night.

"You can never do anything wrong, Jess," she said tenderly, and my chest clenched tightly.

I tried to shove those warm, nervous feelings deep, deep down.

"I'm gonna go check on her," Charlotte said. "I'll see you around?"

Not trusting my voice, I merely nodded, and she gave my shoulder a squeeze before leaving. I stared after her.

The spot on my shoulder where she had squeezed it still lingered with her touch.

---------------

It seemed that with her conversation with Charlotte and a few more drinks in her system, Olivia had forgotten about her explosion entirely. That, or she was choosing to forget it.

I was seated around the bonfire and talking to some of the people there about the band. While sipping on a beer, I was telling them about our performance for Friday night when I felt Olivia's arms slide down my shoulders from behind before her breath filled my ear and her lips landed on the side of my neck.

"Do you want to get out of here?" she whispered while kissing my neck gently.

I glanced over at her friends, who were sharing smirks and smiles.

"Where?" I asked and turned my head to look at her, but she closed her mouth over mine instead.

I heard sand shuffling and fading footsteps as her friends left, and a moment later, Olivia shifted around and climbed onto my lap. I set the beer aside and wrapped my arms around her.

"Fuck, I need you," she gasped into my mouth, and her fingers curled into my shirt.

"Not here," I panted.

"Did you drive here?"

I nodded as she sucked on my lips.

"Take me to your car."

I pulled back to look at her. "In the parking lot?"

Olivia reached up to caress my lips, a smirk sliding over her face. "Unless you prefer to do it out here?"

"Definitely not."

She grasped my face in her hands and planted a firm kiss to my lips. "Then take me to your car, Jess, before I rip our clothes off right here in front of everyone."

I laughed, but she seemed serious as her fingers inched towards my waistband. Not wanting to give her friends any more than what they had already seen, I nudged her off, and we quickly left the bonfire for the parking lot. Olivia was hanging on to me, her lips planting messy kisses all over my neck while I tried to make sure we didn't fall.

We were close to the car when I heard soft moans and turned in the direction of it.

Charlotte was leaning against a wooden fence, her arms draped over a guy's shoulders as they kissed. My feet stumbled against the sand, and Olivia giggled against my neck. Charlotte's eyes fluttered open, and I didn't know what else to do but to stare back. She held my gaze as she arched her neck, and it seemed like she pulled him even closer when he kissed down her neck.

My stomach twisted, and it felt like my nerves were on fire as I watched his lips move across her skin and his hands caress her hips.

Olivia's teeth met my flesh, snapping my attention back to her. She didn't seem to notice Charlotte as her face was still pressed against my neck, but she pulled at my arm. I forced my feet to move and glanced back at Charlotte, but she had already closed her eyes again.

The image of her pressed against the fence with her face twisted in pleasure didn't leave me even when Olivia pulled me into the backseat of the car and shoved her hand down my shorts. I tried to focus on the pleasure, but all I could see was Charlotte kissing that guy and his hands all over her.

"You seem tense," Olivia whispered as she nibbled on my ear. She slid two fingers into me, and I instantly pictured the guy doing that to Charlotte and the tight feeling in my stomach worsened.

Then my phone rang, and I immediately jerked up. Olivia continued to kiss my neck and thrust her fingers, and I tapped her hips urgently.

"I have to take this," I said. "It's probably Noah."

She let out a frustrated huff but pulled away, and I quickly sat up and picked up his call.

"Noah, how's ev--"

"Mom, Mom, Mom, he's okay!" he exclaimed, and I breathed out a relieved sigh.

"That's so great, sweetie. I'm glad he pulled through."

"The doctor had to take one of his legs, but he said that Nox will still be able to walk after he gets better. And Mom!"

I laughed. "Yes?"

"Nox woke up, and he licked my hand!"

I leaned back against the door. Olivia was leaning on the other door, her expression fixed in amusement as she watched me.

"That means he likes you, and he's probably thanking you for adopting him."

There was a pause, and I felt my lips stretched into a grin, which widened when he exclaimed, "Really?"

I had already made up my mind after talking to him on the phone earlier. As long as Noah was happy, I didn't care.

"Yes, sweetie, so let Nox know that he will be coming home to a big bed and a warm meal waiting for him."

Noah's voice softened as he repeated what I said to Nox, and my heart soared. Over the years of raising Noah, I was always afraid of messing him up in the ways I had always seemed to mess everything else up.

But moments like these really reassured me that despite my misgivings, I managed to do something right.

"He licked my hand again. I think he wants me to tell you thank you," Noah said.

"Yeah?" I bit down on my lip and tried to hold back the tears that I definitely didn't want Olivia to see.

"Yeah," he replied. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Noah."

There were some murmurs in the background before he said, "I think Mr. Wilson's about to take him to the car."

"Okay. I'll see you and Nox on Saturday, alright?"

"Okay, Mom. Love you."

"Love you too, sweetie. Let me know when you get back to the house."

He distractedly mumbled a confirmation before hanging up, and I pulled the phone away with a sigh. Olivia tapped my thigh with her foot, and I looked at her.

"Everything alright?" she asked, her voice calm and lacking all of the urgency from earlier. A little taken back, I just stared at her, and her brows knitted together as her lips tugged into a smile.

I really looked at her, then. I was so used to her smirks and coy smiles, and while Olivia was beautiful, she was even more so now with her face softened and her smile relaxed.

"Yeah, everything's good," I finally answered.

Olivia nodded but didn't move. With her feet still lightly tapping against my thigh, she asked, "So Charlotte is the friend that you like?"

I felt my smile slip away as the image of Charlotte with that guy came back. "She's my friend, but I don't have any feelings for her."

She merely lifted a brow but didn't question me on it any further, thankfully. Then, she said, "She's talked about you quite a bit, you know. I can tell she cares a lot about you."

I sat up straighter and narrowed my eyes. "Wait, did you know who I was the whole time?"

Olivia laughed. "No, I'm not psychic, but I found out the day after we met when she mentioned your name."

"And you didn't say anything?"

She shrugged, her eyes gleaming. "What's the fun in that?"

I frowned.

Olivia pushed away from the door and leaned towards me. Her gaze dipped to my lips. "Should we continue, or are you mad?"

I blew out a breath and was surprised that I wasn't as angry as I should have been. Maybe knowing now that Charlotte was okay with it all made it more acceptable.

"We can continue," I said, leaning back.

The smirk returned to her face, and knowing Olivia, I was prepared for it when she lunged forward and crashed her lips against mine.

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It seemed like the alcohol had caught up to Olivia, who passed out soon after I finished going down on her. She had cried out my name, which was a first, and when her grip on my hair finally relaxed, I looked up and found her dozing off. After fixing her clothes, I rolled the windows down a little and went back out to the beach.

Most of the crowd was gone, and the bonfire had simmered down to a low fire. There were some familiar faces there, but I wasn't feeling up for a conversation and skipped them to go down to the shore.

I didn't see Charlotte until I got closer. She was sitting near the shoreline, facing the water. In the dark, the water looked even more ominous and threatening, but with Charlotte there, her body relaxed as the water washed up to her feet, she made it look peaceful.

I settled down on the sand beside her, and she turned to me, startled. I began to feel bad for disrupting her peace until her surprise gave way to a soft smile.

"Hey there, stranger," she said, her voice quiet and more mellow than I had heard in a while.

My eyes swept over her face, taking in the slightly flushed cheeks and relaxed smile. The image of his lips on her skin and her arching her neck for him flashed across my mind, and I averted my gaze to the water.

"Looks like you found someone to release some tension with tonight," I said. I wasn't sure if my attempt to make the comment sound light worked or if she could hear the bitterness that I felt.

It seemed like the former when she nudged my shoulder with hers and said, "Seems like Olivia did the same for you."

My stomach fell when she didn't deny it.

"Where is he?" I asked emptily.

"Where's Olivia?"

I turned to look at her, and while she was still smiling, there was something tighter on her face. The lines around her eyes had reappeared as she furrowed her brows.

"She's asleep in my car," I answered.

The lines on her face deepened, and she looked out at the water. Maybe she was more upset about Olivia and I than I thought, and she had only pretended not to be for our sake.

"Are you sure you're fine with Olivia and I?"

Charlotte shrugged but didn't look at me. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because we're your friends? I don't know. Is it weird for you?"

"You're both adults, and it seems like you two know what you're doing. I don't have any issues with it."

"Then why doesn't it feel like that?"

She clenched her jaw, and I saw her cheeks flicker with tension.

"Charlotte, I will stop this thing with Olivia if you aren't comfortable," I said and meant it. I cared more about my friendship with Charlotte than a fling.

"It seems like neither of you want to cut it off," she slowly said.

Hearing the undertones of anger in her voice, my chest tightened. I turned my body to face her and finally noticed her fingers buried deep into the sand, the veins on her hands bulging with tension.

"So you are upset," I said.

Charlotte slowly released a breath before she turned her head to finally look at me, and I saw it now. It wasn't as intense as when she confronted me about leaving ten years ago, but it was clearly anger.

"Would you be upset if you found out I was sleeping with Laura or any of your friends?"

I took a moment to consider her question, and she kept her gaze on me as I thought about Charlotte and Laura. The image of it sent a shudder through my body and even a pang of the same uncomfortable feeling I got when I saw Charlotte with the guy earlier.

"I wouldn't be happy about it," I finally answered.

Charlotte nodded and looked away again. "Exactly."

"Why didn't you just tell me that, then?" I pressed. "Why did you say it was okay when it's really not?"

"Because," she gritted, "It already happened. I didn't want to make it into some big thing when she's leaving on Friday anyway, and you're never going to see each other again."

"I still want to know if I did anything to upset you."

"It's not that big of a deal, Jess. I'll get over it."

Still.

I felt myself frown as the guilt kicked in. I had been so selfish, only thinking about myself when I saw her making out with the guy earlier. I didn't think about how Charlotte had felt seeing Olivia and I together. I just assumed she was okay because she said she was.

If it was Charlotte and our roles were reversed, she would have clocked my lie immediately. She knew me so well, and I felt like I barely knew her at all.

Charlotte sighed, and I felt her gaze on me again. I didn't meet it. "Look, was I upset? Yes. But not to the point where this will ruin our friendship or make things weird if that's what you're worried about because I can feel you worrying, Jess."

"I'm not worried," I denied, not wanting to worry her.

Charlotte scoffed, and I looked at her again. She did a quick scan of my face before her lips tugged into a small smile. "You're definitely worried."

"No."

"Yes, you are."

I turned away. "No, I'm fine."

"Oh yeah," she laughed, which sent flutters through my stomach. "You're one hundred percent worried."

"Honestly, Charlotte --"

I jerked when her fingers dug into my side, and a tickling sensation flooded my body. I couldn't hold back the laughter that burst through my mouth and tried to roll away, but Charlotte followed my movements with her fingers.

"Charlotte, stop!" I exclaimed.

Her giggles filled me with warmth, and I felt her breath against my ear when she leaned over me. Her fingers eased from my side but lingered. My laughter slowly faded, and I was still smiling as our eyes met.

Charlotte's breath fanned my mouth now, and I couldn't help it when my gaze dipped to her smiling lips, which looked so soft and pink that I really couldn't help it when I felt myself begin to lean in.

I heard her suck in a quiet breath, and when my eyes traveled back up, I caught her gaze flicked up to meet it. My heart pounded faster.

Suddenly, cold water washed up under my body, and I jerked up from the instant shock. My head hit hers, shooting a sharp pain against my forehead. Charlotte fell off of me and rolled onto her back with a groan, and I immediately shook away the pain to lean over her.

"I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" I exclaimed.

"Yeah," she groaned. "I'm definitely getting a headache later, though."

"I'm so sorry," I said again as she sat up.

"I'm okay," she reassured and then looked over at me, and her brows furrowed with concern. "Are you okay, though? I know you don't like the beach, and the water came out of nowhere. I'm sorry, I didn't realized we were so close to the shore and --"

I pulled Charlotte into a tight embrace, and she gasped in surprise.

"Oh my god, Jess, you're all soaked!"

"I'm okay," I murmured.

Her arms slid up around my shoulders. "Are you cold? Come on, lets go to--"

I buried my face into her neck and tightened my arms. Charlotte's hands finally settled on my back.

My mind flashed back to her lips and the way I knew she had looked at mine too before our eyes met again. I slowly drew my face up, and my mouth brushed against her neck, shooting tingles through my lips.

Before our eyes could meet, Olivia's voice rang in the distance. "There you guys are!"

Charlotte pulled away, scooting back from the shore and from me, and I released a shaky breath. I felt her gaze slide over me, but I refused to meet it as I tried to slow down my pounding heart. Then, Olivia arrived and plopped down on the sand between us.

"Holy shit, you both are drenched," Olivia laughed, and I pulled my gaze up to look at her. "Did you guys go on a swim or something?"

"The water washed up on us," Charlotte answered.

Olivia stretched and looked out at the water. "I think I might go out for a swim. Anyone wanna join?"

I shook my head just as Charlotte said, "Jess doesn't like the ocean." I looked at her, then, but she didn't look at me. Olivia turned to me with surprised eyes, but as she opened her mouth, Charlotte spoke again. "And you drank a lot tonight. You shouldn't swim."

Olivia snapped her gaze to Charlotte, who met it steadily. Rather than protesting like I expected her to, Olivia shrugged.

"Whatever," she sighed and then rotated her body to lie down. She settled her head on my lap and draped her legs across Charlotte's. "You guys are no fun."

Charlotte raised her gaze, and I met it this time. She offered a smile, which I returned even though my head was flooding with so many questions.

Questions that I didn't know would ever be answered because Charlotte was my friend, and friends definitely weren't supposed to have feelings for each other.

And if that conversation ever opened up, I wasn't sure if our friendship would even survive.